My wife and I just last weekend, completed a run from Kempsey via the following route to see one of our favourite bands play in Brisbane. "Band Of Skulls" from Southhampton in the U.K. were playing at the HiFi in West End, Sth. Brissy, so to incorporate a run we'd been planning a little further in the future, we set off.
We left from Kempsey at around 5am along the Pacific Hwy to Coffs Harbour, turned left and headed out through Coramba, Glenreagh and reached Grafton at around 7:30am. Back out onto the Gwyder Hwy and off to Glen Innes via a little side trip out to "Hanging Rock", thinking this was where the story of where the three girls went missing at the early part of last century.
We realized after about 30kms through the bush, that the place we were thinking of, was actually in Victoria, so after an hour or so's drive through some fine gravel roads, we turned around and met up again on the Gwyder. Finally arriving at Glen Innes, we checked out "The Australian Standing Stones" and headed north via Tenterfield, and a look at the "Tenterfield Saddlery" made famous by the Peter Allen song. Continued from there until we reached Ballandean, where we stopped for a gander at the hand built pyramid and then onward to Stanthorpe, then finally up to Warwick, where we stayed the night at the "McNevins Motel".
The following morning we continued north toward Toowoomba but turned off the New England and set out along the Cunningham Hwy through Boonah via the Wyaralong Dam and on to Beaudesert. From there we headed north through to Brisbane.
We checked in for the evening at the "Sapphire Resort" in West End, only 5 minutes walk from "The HiFi" to see "Band Of Skulls", supported by new Melbourne up and comers, "Apes". After the show we enjoyed a lovely kebab just across the road and then headed back to our room for a well deserved kip.
The next morning, we set off back to Beaudesert, chucked a left to go out along the Nerang-Murwillumbah Rd., before turning right at Chillingham and going out to Tyalgum pub. From there we set out along the Tyalgum Rd. until joining up at the T intersection on the Murwillumbah-Kyogle road, where we turned right and headed south to Kyogle.
From Kyogle we continued along the Summerland Way to Casino, then again, through to Grafton, stopping for a pizza at Woolgoolga for that evenings dinner at around 6pm, then back onto the Pacific Hwy for the final leg of our 1,400km journey back to Kempsey.
Not exactly a loop run I know, but we had such a great time and a wonderful drive through some beautiful parts of Northern N.S.W. and Southern Queensland, that we felt the need to tell you all of our little marathon.
We took the opportunity for many photo stops and to check out some excellent views along the way. Mayzee (our little 2003 MX-5) handled the trip with true aplomb. She never missed a beat.
A highly recommended drive for anyone that has a few days to spare.
Wayne & Cathy Lang.
